Dust-preventer.



No. 870,590. v PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907. B. F. SGHIRMER.

DUST PREVENTER. APPLICATION nun NOV. 4. 1905.

immnmmmmfmmmmm BALDWIN F. SCHIRMER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

DUST-PREVENTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed November 4. 1905. Serial No. 285,919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BALDWIN F. SCHIRMER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Pre venters, ofwhich I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide a dust preventer to beplaced under any sort of a traveling vehicle, which will serve toprevent the 'dust raised by the rapidly revolving wheels and passage ofa heavy body near the surface of the road from rising into the vehicleand annoying the passengers.

Further objects are to provide means for making the device horizontallyadjustable, so that the vehicle can readily turn, without permittingopenings through which the dust can arise.

The dust preventer is designed to lie underneath the body of the vehicleand pass the dust out from under the vehicle at the rear where it willbe rapidly left behind, and is adapted to any and all kinds of vehicles.

The invention comprises an apron of greater breadth than the width ofthe running gear of the vehicle, and having downwardly turned sides toprevent the escape of the dust in that direction, pivoted extremitieswhereby the draft or current of air passing under the vehicle and causedby its rapid movement can be regulated and directed, in a pivotedportion or portions designed to move with the trucks or pivoted axles ofthe vehicle and in the details of construction and combination andarrangement of the various parts, as hereinafter described, shown in theaccompanying drawings and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of anautomobile, showing a dust preventer attached, Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of a railway passenger car having a dust preventer or apronattached; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the form of dust preventer suited tothe railway car; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the vertically swingingextremity thereof; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a dust preventer suited toan automobile or other vehicle in which the wheel hubs turn at an angleto the axles, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the device for supportingone end of the apron.

In these drawings 1 represents the vehicle body, 2 the dust preventerapron, 3 the downwardly turned edges of the apron, 4 are hingedextremities to the apron the ends of which may be turned upward at anangle to give free passage to the draft which removes the dust, and alsoto give free passage to the dust. These extremities are shown in Figs. 2and 4 and 6 to be supported by means of arcs 5 which are secured bymeans of spring actuated dogs 6 to the truck 7 of the car. They could besecured to any suitable portion of any vehicle to which they wereattached.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the two ends E of the apron are attached to the trucksand the central portion is attached to the underside of the car by meansof braced rods 8, and 8. The truck portions are therefore movable oncurves with the trucks, and their edges are overlapped at 9 by thecentral portion so as to prevent an opening as the trucks swing on theircenters. This construction is also applicable to vehicles having fifthwheels or pivoted running gear of any sort. Openings 10 are left for thewheels to pass through.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the openings 10 are made of an hour glassshape and hence permit of an angular change in the position of the wheelhubs and wheels. In this form no division or pivoting of any portion ofthe apron is necessary but it can be formed in one sheet. The downwardlyextending sides and hinged front and rear can be attached to this formof apron if desired.

The dust preventer can be made of any sort of material, such as wood,cloth, or iron, and can be placed at any convenient angle thereto aswell as horizontally. Also any other forms of openings may be made inthe apron to accommodate the movements of the wheels, which may appearto be of greatest service.

It is advantageous to lessen the volume of dust raised by automobiles,in every way possible, and the mere application of an apron'providing aflat smooth bottom, covering the chassis and irregularities of the lowersurface of the car will greatly prevent the resistance to anddisturbance of the air caused by its rapid movement. It is alsosometimes desirable that the front of the apron should be higher thanthe rear, for this rea son, the links connecting the apron with the carin front can be longer than the links at the rear, or the links can bemade adjustable as shown at 20, Fig. l to obtain any angle desired. (Seedotted lines.)

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a vehicle having wheels and axles, of a dustpreventer interposed between said axles and the ground, hingedextremities to said dust preventer, and downwardly turned edges to saiddust preventer, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vehicle having wheels and axles, of a dustpreventer interposed between said axles and the ground, hingedextremities to said dust preventer, and means for raising and loweringsaid extremities, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vehicle having wheels and axles, and bearingstherefor, of a dust preventer, interposed between said axles and. theground, the said dust preventer having a plane body portion anddownwardly turned sides, and hinged terminal portions, said hingedportions having also downwardly turned sides and ends, an are upon eachhinged terminal, and a dog or keeper upon the vehicle, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a vehicle having trucks, of a said apron, andmeans for raising and lowering the outer ends of said hinged portions,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 24 day of August 1905.

Witnesses BENJAMIN TAYLOR, MABEL U. KINYON.

BALDWIN F. SCHIRMER.

